As Programme Manager for Culture and Community Spaces, you will provide senior strategic direction and management of the programme, working with stakeholders across London to protect London’s cultural and community assets and create opportunities for cultural and creative organisations to thrive in the capital. Your work will cover priority cases, lobbying, negotiating, advocacy and providing strategic advice and guidance in business planning, sustainability, governance, and lease negotiations. You will work closely with local authority culture, economic development, regeneration and planning teams, developers, funders, Government, and sector representatives to save, preserve and support the spaces which really matter to Londoners. And you will work directly with London’s vibrant spaces, particularly those which represent Black, Asian and minority ethnic, Deaf, and disabled people, LBGTQ+, low-income groups, older people, and women-led groups and those located in areas of London where there is a lack of, and demonstrated need for, this type of cultural or social infrastructure.
Principal accountabilities
1. Provide strategic leadership on a range of initiatives, programmes and policies related to Culture and Community Spaces at Risk, including the development, design, and distribution of dedicated funding programmes. Lead and deliver the programme and staff resources in line with planned performance and outputs to time, budget commitments identifying any risks and issues as appropriate. Contribute to development of continuing strategic planning, research, and evaluation across the programme, including setting the criteria and prioritisation for casework across the programme.
2. Take on case work of strategic and/or politically sensitive cases to protect existing cultural and community assets. Lead negotiations and maintain relationships with high-level decision-makers on multi- stage cases, contributing to the Mayor’s agenda for Good Growth, and protecting Mayoral investments.
3. Oversee the financial management for the programme including all internal reporting within the Unit and to governance teams and take the lead on additional fundraising.
4. Guide and manage external strategic partners to advise on the growth and ongoing development of the programme. Leverage partner funding and advise on the design of grant programmes to reach diverse communities who have historically faced barriers to accessing public funding
5. Influence and develop new strategic partnerships based on evolving sector issues and programme aims to encourage best practice in community-led planning, community ownership and wealth creation, democratic and social business models, and harnessing social value in property – towards the aim of more sustainable and stable culture and community assets. Engage with internal and external stakeholders to influence their work on the further development of the programme, including the Regeneration and Economic Development, Health, Education and Youth and Communities and Social Policy Unit, London & Partners, London’s creative industries, businesses, higher education, and government departments.
6. Spearhead a communications and engagement strategy to support the Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme, including use of the GLA website and other channels. Establish and maintain effective lines of communication with internal teams and external stakeholders including artists, voluntary groups, strategic agencies, and local and central government to assist with the implementation of the programme. Work with partners to employ inclusive and creative approaches to disseminating tools, resources and case studies for maximum impact and accessibility. Oversee the development of website and social media plans, providing advice and guidance. Manage hiring of consultants to deliver projects, including procurement processes, project management, monitoring, and review.
7. Provide and contribute to written and oral briefings and specialist reports related to culture and the creative industries and key issues relating to the programme for the Mayor and his advisors, the Night Czar, GLA staff, government departments and London and national organisations including:
- drafting timely responses to Mayoral questions and correspondence
- providing concise briefings and responses to questions
- providing meeting management and secretariat functions for key meetings
- representing the GLA at external events and meetings
- timely responses to the London Assembly’s scrutiny function
8. Contribute to the development of policies and strategies within the Culture and Creative Industries Unit and wider GLA Group.
9. Realise the benefits of London’s diversity by promoting and enabling equality of opportunities and promoting the diverse needs and aspirations of London’s communities.
10. Realise the benefits of a flexible approach to work in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job, and participating in multi-disciplinary, cross-department and cross-organisational groups and project teams
11. Manage staff and resources in allocated to the job in accordance with the Authority’s policies and Code of Ethics and Standards
12. Undertake any other additional duties and tasks reasonably assigned to the role.
If you have a question about the role or would like to discuss it informally, please feel free to contact Kirsten Dunne at Kirsten.dunne@london.gov.uk to arrange a call.
Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role. Please upload a personal statement/cover letter with a maximum of 1500 words to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the following technical requirements and competencies in your personal statement/cover letter. Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and personal statement/cover letter are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g., “CV – your name – 012345)
The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA competency framework
